Just Mustard

A pollyanna is defined as an excessively cheerful or optimistic person. For it to be the title and inspiration of the opening track and lead single from Just Mustard’s third album, WE WERE JUST HERE, signals a Damascene moment for the Dundalk five-piece. Across their first two albums – 2018’s Wednesday and Partisan Records debut Heart Under from 2022 – the Irish band had become masters at creating haunting noise rock, Katie Ball’s bewitching vocals swirling amongst the sounds like smoke.

Heart Under, defined by a maelstrom of dark industrial noise and dreamy textures, explored themes of grief and longing, with imagery of being submerged deep underwater and gasping for air. On the remarkable WE WERE JUST HERE, the band reemerges, leaning towards the light and the rush of euphoria.

Across these 10 tracks, the band’s signature elements are still intact: guitars that are warped beyond recognition, twisted sound design that draws from the luminary world of Aphex Twin and cavernous low ends. Guitarists David Noonan and Mete Kalyoncuoğlu continue to take their instruments to wild and unrecognizable places, while the rhythm section of bassist Robert Hodgers Clarke and drummer Shane Maguire bring thudding sub bass and clattering percussion respectively. This time though, it’s all been channeled into a warmer and more anthemic path, opening up a new dimension of sound for the band.